President Obama appears to be somewhat unique in use of the words "sorry" or "apologize," terms that rarely emanate from presidential lips. / Charles Dharapak, AP

by David Jackson, USA TODAY

by David Jackson, USA TODAY

Whether it's Richard Nixon over Watergate, Bill Clinton over Monica Lewinsky, or President Obama over the problems with his health care rollout, presidents have often apologized - or at least expressed regret or taken responsibility for something gone publicly wrong.

"Those who got cancellation notices do deserve and have received an apology from me," Obama said during a Thursday news conference, the latest example of Oval Office sorrow.

During an NBC News interview last week, Obama also cited problems with the health care website and said of people who may be disadvantaged by the new law: "I am sorry that they, you know, are finding themselves in this situation, based on assurances they got from me."

Obama appears to be somewhat unique in use of the words "sorry" or "apologize," terms that rarely emanate from presidential lips - most go the "regret" or "responsibility" routes, or some other circumlocution.

"It amounts to the same thing," said Stephen Hess, a presidential scholar at The Brookings Institution.

"It's not something presidents like to do," Hess said. "I would say it's something most people don't like to do."

On Aug. 8, 1974, the night he announced he would resign the presidency over the Watergate scandal, Nixon said: "I regret deeply any injuries that may have been done in the course of the events that led to this decision."

Nixon added: "I would say only that if some of my judgments were wrong, and some were wrong, they were made in what I believed at the time to be the best interest of the nation."

In a 1987 speech on the Iran-Contra scandal, Ronald Reagan offered something of a "head and heart" mea culpa.

"A few months ago I told the American people I did not trade arms for hostages," Reagan said. "My heart and my best intentions still tell me that's true, but the facts and the evidence tell me it is not."

On Aug. 17, 1998, hours after his grand jury testimony in the Monica Lewinsky case, Clinton said, "I know that my public comments and my silence about this matter gave a false impression. I misled people, including even my wife. I deeply regret that."

Obama's predecessor, George W. Bush, used the "R word" in discussing the failure to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.

"The biggest regret of all the presidency has to have been the intelligence failure in Iraq," Bush told ABC News in late 2008. "A lot of people put their reputations on the line and said the weapons of mass destruction is a reason to remove Saddam Hussein .... And, you know, that's not a do-over, but I wish the intelligence had been different, I guess."

Bush also used another R word - responsibility - in discussing the botched response to Hurricane Katrina in 2004: "To the extent that the federal government didn't fully do its job right, I take responsibility."

Presidents often let others report on their apologies.

During Obama's first year in office, the chairman of Special Olympics said Obama called him to apologize for describing his poor form at bowling as "like the Special Olympics or something."

Earlier this year, a spokesman said Obama had called California official Kamala Harris and apologized for riffing that she was "by far the best-looking attorney general in the country."

Presidents most frequently apologize for mistakes others have made, especially in the past.

Last year, Obama apologized to Afghanistan counterpart Hamid Karzai for U.S. military involvement in the burning of the Quran, calling it an inadvertent error.

During his presidency, Clinton apologized for historic mistakes that included slavery and medical experiments on African Americans.

Kathleen Hall Jamieson, a specialist in presidential rhetoric, said Obama is facing a unique situation and basically had no choice but to apologize: He apparently broke an oft-stated promise that people could keep their health care plans if they liked them.

On Thursday, Obama announced a new proposal that would let people retain their canceled policies for a year.

"He's in a box," Jamieson said. "Ultimately, this will be judged on whether he fixes it or not."

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